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Monday, March 8, 2010

Foot Fetish

Readers, I have a thing for feet. Lately, I can't stop thinking about them. Blindhemmers, rufflers, invisible zipper feet. Oh, did you think we were talking about something else? Sewing machine feet, people. I'm obsessed!

It's possible that this might be an ailment that's rife with Bernina owners. As soon as I bought my 1008, everyone was telling me how fantastic the Bernina feet were and how I had to buy this one and that one and this one . . . Also, my 1008 comes with one traditional Bernina foot (with the shaft attached, like the one above), but the other five included feet are snap-on. Many people were insistent that I'd want to replace those snap-ons with the traditional feet. ASAP. I was dubious, I confess. I've never bought an extra presser foot for a machine, and I didn't see any reason to start now.

And then I started sewing on the Bernina. And it's true, the traditional foot feels much sturdier and convenient to use. And then I ordered an invisible zipper foot (#35, for those in the know), and now I'm hooked. I put in an invisible zipper flawlessly yesterday! And so presser foot fever has begun.

I've since started making a list of the feet I want. I spent a blissful lunch hour at my Bernina dealer (side note: isn't it funny that they're called DEALERS? Because seriously, I'm addicted to what they're selling) going through the Feetures books. The Feetures books are a kind of controlled substance in themselves: three glorious, glossy binders full of feet and step-by-step illustrated directions for each technique you can use them for. Of course, in true dealer fashion, these books are also for sale, for what I hear is an outrageous price. Are you surprised that I want them desperately?

I'm going to start by replacing the four snap-ons that came with the machine (blindstitch, overlock, zipper, and buttonhole). But then the list just keeps going: edgestitch, straight stitch, walking foot, piping, ruffler. I want a jeans foot and I've never even made jeans! But who's to say I won't start if I don't have the perfect foot?!

And these things aren't exactly cheap. I could probably spend almost as much on feet as I did on the machine! Are there any fellow foot fetishists in the house? Which ones can you ABSOLUTELY NOT live without? Are there any that are worth passing on? Do share!

42 comments:

oh gertie! would you believe that moments before i popped in to see if you had updated i was reading this article from threads magazine - http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/8424/whats-your-favorite-non-standard-sewing-machine-foot

i love all my non-standard feet but what's really exciting to me at the moment is twin needles... oooooh!

I have the Bernina 980 (my mom's from 1986), and she lost all the feet. There were at least 15-20 that I remember her having, and now they're gone. My dad (who bought them for her) and I mourned their loss when I started sewing. What a thing to lose! I'd almost rather lose my teeth.

One thing I really don't like about having an older no-fuss model of sewing machine is its impossible to find feet for them. I need and desperatly want a blind hem foot but they just dont make any kind of feet at all that attach the way my machines feet do.

Feetures, hee. Count me in with the presser foot fans. I have mostly snap-ons for my Babylock, but fortunately the traditional feet for my Featherweight also fit this machine, happy days! I confess that I like my traditional zipper foot much better than the snap-on one that came with the machine ... was doing welting on a pillow yesterday, and the design of the snapper just doesn't let you get close enough, like the traditional zipper foot does.

Blind hem, walking foot, invisible zipper, and the overcasting foot are all must-haves. I also have the curvemaster foot--it's designed for quilting, but you can also use it to ease in sleeve caps and princess seams flawlessly.

Yes and no. I machine is cheap (and will be replaced on day) so the feet that go with it are also cheap. That said I couldn't live without my walking foot or quilting feet. I also love my clear foot and my zipper foot. My buttonhole foot and I are not friends at all though so it stays in the drawer.

Two years ago, I wanted a zipper foot for my 1222, so I posted on a Pfaff message board on where I could buy one. Remember, my machine is about 35 years old. Instead, I was *given* a complete set of feet for my machine, plus a couple extra. What I don't have that I still want is a ruffler. I can see making ruffles for my little girl's clothes would be soo much easier than all the gathering I have to do now. I actually have two rufflers, but they're for low shank machines and mine is a high shank. Must remember to put them on ebay one of these days.... They came with a yard sale Singer.

I too love feet. On my own blog I've been posting on how to use a vintage sewing machine on Tuesdays. I've prepared next week's post which starts my section on the feet. Amazingly, a lot of feet haven't changed since the treadle machine. I'll start with the narrow hemmer. Check it out if you like.

There's just one foot that I use 98% of the time, and that's my rickety all-purpose click-on foot, that came with the machine. I had an invisible zipperfoot, but it got lost during a move and it turns out that my allpurpose foot has a better grip anyway and my fingers can open the zipper just as well as the invisable zipper foot. That said, today I bought a teflon foot for some faux-leather I'm hoping to turn into a raincoat. For me, with some improvision a good basic foot will perform most functions as well or better than specialty feet. .

I, too, am all about feet. My Brother takes snap-ons and also the old short-shank Singer feet, which are available in abundance. I think the edge-stitching foot, with the blade in the middle, is non-standard one I use most often. With this foot and an adjustable needle position, you get really perfect topstitching. I also love my cording foot, I think couching threads is a really nice decorative look and I have a 7-hole corder that lets me vary the look quite a bit. I love the ruffler for its terrifying mechanical quality, but I've yet to use it.

I have finally also learned to use my felling foot and narrow-hemming foot. The hemmer I use all the time, the feller when making shirts, although as it comes in different width varieties, if I get a larger one I might use it for jeans too.

Some feet you can use right away, some take (a lot of) practice. But they definitely extend the range of your sewing!

I have 2 Bernina machines and most of the feet that are available for each one! When I got my first Bernina, a 1230, my DH bought all the feet for it as a Christmas gift. When I got the 200, I bought most of the feet. And I have the Feetures books as well. Do I qualify for a "foot fetish"? You betcha'!

One more foot lover over here. I bought my machine about a year ago and soon after discovered how many different feet are available. The look on my husband's face was so funny the day 4 arrived in the post and then I started listing all the feet I still wanted (needed) to get.

The ruffler is not as useful as it appears at first. For someone who does adult garment sewing, it won't get much use. Buy it if you want it for household sewing (fastest dust ruffle ever!) or if you make a lot of little girl dresses.

Is a piping foot a significant improvement over using a narrow zipper foot for the same purpose?

The feet I love for my Viking are the hemmers (including an old Singer adjustable), the invisible zipper, the overcasting, the 1/4" piecing with guide (gets as much use on clothing as quilts). I have recently been informed that the blind hemmer can be used for edgestitching, so I'm going to try that out on the next pair of jeans. I've also got a couple of binders (adjustable new, and vintage 1/4") waiting to be tested.

i occasionally work in a costume shop for a dance company and we sew on bernina's. They are fantastic and i haven't yet congratulated you on the new addition to the sewing family. If you ever sew slippery or fussy stretch I highly recommend the walking foot. invisible zipper feet are great too. I actually have a (very) old singer that came with all its feet, rufflers and pleaters included and I have yet to try them out. It sounds so fun. Let us know how it goes. I also recommend using the machines button sewing feature which is great for buttons as well as snaps and hooks and eyes.

If you're just starting your collection, then you must have the edgestitch foot (#10 on berninas), and the walking foot. I had quite the foot (feet?) collection with my 1130, and was disappointed to discover that they don't fit the newer models.

The walking foot is very useful for anything heavy and big. I find I use my 1/4" foot for more than just quilting. Sometimes I use it to get a tidy edge on topstitching. I wish they made a perfect 1/8" foot for my Janome.

Oh, from one Bernina footie to another: edgestitch. I use it for every. single. project. No joke. It's the one with the blade in the middle, and I use it for stitching in the ditch, understitching, edgestitching, etc etc.

Mine are the solid ones too, not the snap on, and I do love love love them. (I have the regular, zipper, invisible zipper, edgestitch, and darning/freehand embroidery foot. I use all of them)

I agree, the #10 (edgestitch) foot is essential! I use it all the time. The blade doesn't go all the way to the back of the foot like the #5--it stops before the needle, so you can edgestitch around curves easily. It feeds the fabric like butter!

I have a Bernina and when I bought it, I was crazy for the feet. I bought quite a few. I absolutely knew that I could not live without the really expensive walking foot and so I bought it. I've used it only twice though. I also have the ruffle foot and I have to say I like it, but it doesn't come in as handy as I thought it would. I also have the invisible zipper foot and I like it but I've decided that I don't like invisible zips as much anymore since the last time was such a nightmare. I don't know. I like the feet options, but I almost get a better product if I hand sew a lot of things. I'm interested to see what other feet you try and whether or not they work for you!

I have a Bernina I inherited from my mother. I do love the solid, sturdy feel of the feet. The walking foot is pricy, but really helpful for shifty fabrics. I use the #10 edgestitch foot a lot, like others here. It really helps improve topstitching and edgestitching. I also picked up a felling foot, but I haven't tried it out yet. I'd like to get a piping foot, as I find it hard to get close enough to the piping using the zipper foot.

I love Bernina feet... so much nicer than the snap-ons on my old machine! I use the walking foot more than anything else - yes, it was expensive, but it cuts way down on the amount of shifting with slippery fabrics, and I like to use it whenever I fear something will develop bubbles. I love the regular zipper and invisible zipper foot. I bought the piping foot, but find that I use the zipper foot more often for those uses. I want to get a ruffler and the 1/4" foot. I don't really care for the blind hem foot, but I don't like how machine hems look, so maybe that's just me. Good luck - the feet are definitely an addiction!

I love feet and attachments so much that i collect them at thrift stores, even if I don't have a machine for them. Some of them come in nifty little boxes- it's hard to pass up! I guess it's time to list them on etsy... sigh...

I have to say, fascinating indeed... I've been satisfied with my snap-on regular #1 foot for my Bernina for so long, it never occurred to me that this could be unsturdy... But then again, it's just recently I've discovered feet possibility on the Internet (feet in general are very expensive at my local Bernina dealer). That said, I did invest in a invisible zipper foot #35 and USED to love it. Somehow I think there's differences between YKK and Opti zippers, because the YKK get stuck in my #35!! I don't know what I'm doing wrong, and all I can read about this foot is praise... It has made me using the buttonhole foot for invisible zippers instead. Any tips on this, oracle Gertie? Oh, I think I've even asked about this earlier also... a little desperate now, haha!

My machine came with a wide range of feet, some of which I am only just getting to grips with now, after nearly ten years. My two favourite feet are the invisible zipper and the binder. I never have a problem with my zips and the binder foot makes for fast and perfect edges. I have started a love affair with a piping foot of late, but we're still in the getting to know each other phase.

Coming from a "dealer"...get the #10(edgestitch) and the walking foot early in the game. I like them all, but those 2 are my favorite. I have some posts on Colette patterns about a couple of feet, like #18(button sew on)- which is a dream for me and #5(blind hem)- which is standard issue, but not so great in the clip on version. The jeans foot #8, is great for what I refer to as hills and valleys, sewing over thick and thin. Make sure to pick up the ones in the red box.

Well I'm not in the know like you bernina peeps...but I absolutely adore my singer 403 and had to have all the vintage feet so I found the parts manual online so I can keep track of all the one's I've collected its like my sewing bible!! Feet are So Neat!!!

The ones I use most often after #1 are #57 - the 1/4" foot with guide - perfect for necklines, armholes, and other enclosed edges; #10 - the edgestitch foot - perfect for edgestitching, understitching, stitching in the ditch, etc; #35 - the invisible zipper foot; #4 - the regular zipper foot; #18 - the button sew-on foot (totally awesome for buttons with 2 or 4 holes); and the teflon straight stitch foot (I think #53). And the straight stitch throat plate is a must, in my opinion.

I think Bernina dealers should follow Apple's lead and call themselves 'Authorised Resellers' - reflects the cultish exclusivity of having presser feet that are incompatible with any other manufacturer!

I like my invisible zipper foot too. But the fact I need to always buy Bernina feet, and never a cheapie generic foot, is a bit annoying. I want a binding foot and a walking foot and and and...

I have a Bernina 931 Record and 5 or 6 feet came with it when I purchased it 2nd hand. At the time I had no idea what any of the feet did other than the standard one, the zipper and the button hole. I've since realised that I have a darning foot and maybe a blind hem one. (I'm not at home so can't check the numbers.)

I like this website to research feet. If you select a foot there is a link on how to use it with pictures, etc.http://www.sewingmachinesplus.com/sewing-feet.php

I feel like a commoner invited to a high society do with my common as muck Janome feet when everyone else has fancy Bernina ones!

My sewing machine came with at least five different feet, two of which I've never used. The button one is wonderful though, making buttonholes just the right size. I've just ordered an invisible zipper one to see whether it makes a difference, along with a piping one. I seem to manage quite well without, but I'm hoping it'll be like the up/down button, where I couldn't see what the fuss was about until I got one and now couldn't live without!

I'm slowly adding feet to my collection too, but I'll add another vote for the edgestitch foot. It's amazing how easy it makes top stitching. And it works great for stitching in the ditch too. You'll love it!

Oh, yes, the Bernina #35 totally rocks, doesn't it? I had an invisible zipper foot on my previous machine, and thought it was just fine. BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS MISSING. The Bernina invisible zipper foot is so over-and-above incredible, I could just insert invisible zips all day long and admire how great they look!